James h



J. H. RAND.

INDEX.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11,1918.

Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

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INDEX.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1|, I918.

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JAMES H. RAND, or NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK.

INDEX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. so, 1919.

Application filed November 11, 1918. Serial No. 262,073. 1

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, James H. RAND citizen of United States, and resident of North Tonawanda, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Indexes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to card indexes, and has to do particularly with the novel construction of index cards for use in card indexes of the overlapping-card, visible mdex type.

In the accompanying drawin which illustrate certain preferred embodiments of the invention,

Figure l is a front elevation of a part of a card index wherein the cards are mounted in a frame in depending and overlapped position;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of F g. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front View, partly broken away, of one of the cards shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on 'lme 4L-4= of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of sa1d card, partly broken away;

Fig. 6 is a plan, partly broken away, of the blank from which said card is formed;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a part of a card index wherein the cards are mounted in a frame in upstanding and overlapped position;

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a rear view, patly broken away, of one of the cards shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged section on line 1010 of Fig. 9; and i I Fig. 1-1 is a plan, partly broken away, of the blank from which the cards shown in Figs. 7 to 10 are made.

Referring first to the form shown in Figs. 1 to 6, the index card 1, of card-board or other suitable sheet material has extending along one margin, and preferably formed integrally with the body of the card, a stlffening strip composed of a plurality of narrow folded sections superposed one upon another. Said stifi'ening strip may be formed by folding the card over upon itself on line 2 (Fig. 6), then folding it reversely on line 3, and then reversely on line 4, thus making a number of narrow, reversely folded, su-

perposed sections. The ultimate section 5 is made wider than the intermediate folded sections 6 and 7, to provide a tongue which engages the margin of an adjacent index card when a series, of such cards are nested as shown in Fig. 2, and arranged in a frame in overlapped relation.

The sections, thus folded over one upon' by inserting the ends of the strip under the flanges 7".

The multiple strip thus formed of a number of superposed, narrow, folded sections, suitably fastened together into a unitary structure, performs the functions of the usual relatively heavy bar or strip of bristol board attached to the edge of the card. It possesses sufiicient stifi'ness to hold the card securely and flat in the frame, and at the same time sufficient resiliency to allow it to be sprung or buckled to insert the ends in the frame. It constitutes not only means to hold the cards in the frame but also means to space the cards relatively to one another so that their free margins-will be exposed to display indexing characters. And the several plies or folds possess suflicient thickness to separate the tongue 5 from the body of the card and leave a space to receive the margin of the next adjacent card with comparatively little distortion or deflection of the tongue or the body of the car a The invention is equally adaptable to overlapping cards of the upstanding type, as shown in Figs. 7 to 11. In this modification the cards 1 have the stiffening strip formed at the bottom. Its ends are held in the frame F by the flanges f, while the body of the card extends upward, and may be provided at its free edge with projections 9 which rest on the front face of the flanges 7. Similar lateral projections 10 at the bottom of the card'extending under the flanges f, have sufficient vertical dimensions to hold the card upright in the frame. In other respects this modification is like the one first described, and corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts.

Where the invention is used in depending cards as shown in Figs. 1 to 6 the card is preferably creased along line 11, beside and parallel to the row of staples 8, to form a hinge between the body of thecard and the folded stiffening. strip, thus permitting the card to be easily swung forward and upward away from the frame. Where itis used in upstanding cards as shown in Figs. 7 to 11 no such hinge is used as the card must be held upright by its own stiffness and is merely bent or deflected away from the frame if a concealed card is to be inspected; but the tongue 5 of this form is preferably bent a little to the rear on line 12 so as to stand open sufficiently to easily receive the edge of the next card above when the cards are being assembled.

The terms card and index card, as used throughout the specification and claims, denote any index element of the character described, whether made of card-board, paper, or other suitable sheet material, and whether used as the sheets on which the entries are directly made, or merely as holders to which are attached other cards or sheets on which the entries are made.

A notch or cut 5 extending inwardly from the free edge of the tongue 5 is formed in the ton ue to prevent the tongue from buckling w en th card is bent or sprung transversely of the tongue to insert the ends ofthe stiffening strip under the flanges of the frame.

I claim:

1. An index card having a stiffening strip formed of a plurality of narrow folded sections superposed one upon another, and staples passing through the several superposed folded sectlons to fasten thesame together.

2. An index card having a stiffening strip extending along one margin and formed of a plurality of narrow folded sections-superposed one upon another, and means to fasten the superposed folded sections together.

3. An index card having a stiffening strip formed of a plurality of narrow folded sections superposed one upon another, and means to fasten the superposed folded sections together, said folded stiffening strip projecting at'each end beyond the body of the card.

' 4. An index card having a stiflening strip extending along one margin formed of a plurality of narrow folded sections su erposed one upon another, the ultimate fo ded section being wider than the intermediate secneiaeea tions and forming a tongue adapted to engage the margin of an adjacent index card when a series of such cards are arranged in overlapped relation, and means to fasten the superposed folded sections together.

5. An index card having a stiffening strip extending along one margin formed of a plurality of narrow reversely folded sec tions superposed one upon another, the ultimate folded section being wider than the intermediate sections and forming a tongue adapted to engage the margin of an adjacent index card when a series of such cards are arranged in overlapped relation, and means to fasten the superposedjfdfded sections together. i

6. An index card having a stiffening strip formed of a plurality of narrow folded sections superposed one upon another, and means to fasten the superposed folded sections together, said folded stiffening strip projecting at each end beyond the body of the card, and the body of the card being hinged to the stiffening strip.

7 An index card of sheet material having an integrally formed stiffening strip extending along one margin composed. of a plurality of narrow reversely folded sections superposed one upon another, the ultimate foldedsection being wider than the intermediate sections and forming a tongue adapted to engage the margin of an adjacent index card when a series of such cards are arranged in overlapped relation, and

i a row ,of staples passing through the several superposed folded sections to fasten the same together.

8. An index card of sheet material having an integrally formed stiffening strip extending along one margin composed of a plurality of narrow reversely folded sections superposed one upon another, the ultimate folded section being-wider than the intermediate section and forming a tongue adapted to en age the margin of an adjacent index card when a series of'such cards are arranged in overlapped relation, and a row of staples passing through the several superposed folded sections to fasten the same together, said card being creased along a line beside and parallel to the row of staples to form a hinge between the body of the card and said folded stifi'eningstrip.

9. An index card of sheet material having'a tongue extending along one margin, said tonguebeing provided with a cut extending lnwardly from the free edge of the tongue to prevent the buckling of the tongue when the card is bent transversely of the, tongue.

10. An index card having a stiff'cningstrip extending along one margin formed of a plurality of narrow folded sections superposed one upon another, the ultimatefolded section being wider than the intermediate sections and forming a tongue adapted to engage the margin of an adjacent index card when a series of such cards are arranged in overlapped relation, and means to fasten the superposed folded sections together, said tongue being provided with a cut extending inwardly from the free edge of the tongue to prevent the tongue from buckling when the card is bent transversely 10 of the tongue.

Signed by me at North T'onawanda, N. Y., this 6th day of November, 1918.-

JAMES H. RAND. 

